Mister Softee Depot
A Memory of Hednesford.
I WAS BORN IN CANNOCK IN 1967 AND MY DAD DROVE A MISTER SOFTEE ICE CREAM VAN.
THE MISTER SOFTEE/LYONS MAID ICE CREAM VAN DEPOT WAS IN HEDNESFORD OPPOSITE THE GLOBE PUB.I HAD SOME FANTASTIC MEMORYS BEING WITH MY DAD ON THE ICE CREAM VAN,WE USED TO GET THE VAN READY AND DRIVE INTO HEDNESFORD TOWN CENTRE AND FILL UP WITH PETROL,THE PETROL STATION WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.OUR ICE CREAM ROUND WAS IN WILLENHALL,BLOXWICH AND GREAT WYRLEY,I SPENT MANY YEARS ON THE VAN ,I THINK IT WAS BETWEEN 1973,TO 1978 AND WAS ALWAYS ON THE VAN WEEKENDS,AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.WHEN WE FINISHED THE ICE CREAM ROUND AT THE END OF THE DAY WE TOOK THE VAN BACK TO THE DEPOT IN HEDNESFORD AND CLEANED IT UP FOR THE NEXT DAY.MY DAD THEN WENT OVER TO THE GLOBE PUB HAD A QUICK PINT AND I HAD A VIMTO(WITH A STRAW OFCOURSE), AND A PACKET OF CRISPS.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THE MISTER SOFTEE DEPOT,I THINK THE OWNERS NAME WAS VITO D,ANGELO ,I THINK HE ALSO HAD A CAFE IN HEDNESFORD TOWN CENTRE.
BY THE WAY,MY DADS ICE CREAM VAN WAS A 1961 MISTER SOFTEE COMMER KARRIER WITH THE GENERATOR IN THE BACK THAT WORKED THE ICE CREAM MACHINE & FREEZERS. THE REGISTRATION WAS OCN 803 I HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED AND RESTORED TWO OF THESE VANS AND HAVE NOW SOLD THEM ON AS I AM NOT IN THE ICE CREAM TRADE.
THEY ARE BOTH NOW WORKING VANS.THERE WERE MANY OTHER MISTER SOFTEE VANS THERE INCLUDING LYONS MAID ICE CREAM VANS,I THINK THEY WERE THE BEDFORD CA.
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Comments & Feedback
I remember Franco very well, he was a bit mad driving the ice cream vans,I don't know whether you remember but when I very first started going with my dad the ice cream depot was in the same area but in a different unit further into the estate,but that must of been 1971-1972,mainly I remember the depot by the Globe.When we finished of a night we took the van back to the depot cleaned it ready for the next day,went into vitos office by the big freezer and handed the days takings in.In the morning we had to go into that freezer to get the ice lollys,choc ices ect and load up the van,allso get the tins of milk from outside the freezer for the Sweden freeze ice cream machines.we then had to fill the generator up with t.v.o,the tank was next to the depot,then go to the petrol station in Hednesford.
My dad lives in Rhyl now(north wales)he is now retired.